In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Murugan Ashwin, who will play for KL Rahul’s Punjab Kings in IPL 2021, shared his thoughts on a number of topics.

Tamil Nadu made it to the final of the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Trophy, but fell agonizingly short by 1 run to Karnataka. In the 2021 edition of the tournament, Dinesh Karthik’s side went all the way, vanquishing Baroda in the final at Ahmedabad.

When asked about the differences between the two campaigns, Murugan Ashwin stated that the side was better prepared this time and thanked the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association for their unrelenting support.

Murugan Ashwin scalped 10 wickets in 8 games at an economy rate of 6.93 in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. When asked about the difference in quality between the domestic T20 tournament and the IPL, the Chennai native highlighted the importance of dedicated preparation.

“Playing alongside these cricketers has been a wonderful experience” - Murugan Ashwin

13 players who feature for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket are part of IPL 2021 franchises - Ravichandran Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar, Murugan Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, M Siddharth, R Sai Kishore, C Hari Nishaanth, N Jagadeesan, Shahrukh Khan, T Natarajan, Washington Sundar and Sandeep Warrier.

Apart from Tamil Nadu, only Punjab (12), Mumbai (12), Uttar Pradesh (11) and Karnataka (11) have double-digit representation in IPL 2021. When asked about the same, Murugan Ashwin pointed out that learning is inevitable while playing alongside a plethora of stars.

Before joining the Punjab Kings, Murugan Ashwin turned out for the Rising Pune Supergiant, the Delhi Daredevils and the Royal Challengers Bangalore. When asked about the best cricketing advice he has received, the 30-year-old revealed what he has learnt while playing in the IPL.

Needless to say, Murugan Ashwin’s family has been his pillar of strength. He signed off by poignantly pointing out the same.

Murugan Ashwin was one of the Punjab Kings’ standout perfomers in IPL 2020, and he’ll look to continue from where he left off this year. KL Rahul’s side kick off their campaign on 12th April with a clash against the Rajasthan Royals.

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